Sunday, March 20, 2016

British Humanitarians – Royal Mail First Day Cover

The newest Royal Mail First Day
Cover is dedicated to British Humanitarians. From struggles in Victorian
England against hypocrisy and violence, to campaigns to feed the dispossessed
and the young in the wake of two world wars, there were many battles waged by
these six outstanding individuals conducted across time, frontiers and under
very different circumstances.

Among these British humanitarians
are three women and three men who went beyond symptoms to attack the causes of
inequality, deprivation and ignorance, mending shattered bodies and minds, and
rescuing the vulnerable. There were driven human beings, sharing two
significant characteristics - a natural concern for their fellow citizens of
the world and a single-minded desire to help those in need.

Nicholas Winton (1909 – 2015). In 1939, Nicholas Winton played a
crucial role in saving 669 Czech children from certain death at the hands of
the Nazis by organising safe passage to the UK through his Kindertransport work. During 18-hour days in Prague, he visited
refugee camps, conducted interviews and complied lists of children’s names for
evacuation. He continued his vital work in London, finding foster parents, arranging
transport and lobbying governments.

Sue Ryder (1924 – 2000). After serving in the First Aid Nursing
Yeomanry and the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War, Sue
Ryder volunteered for relief work in Europe, where she helped the displaced,
orphans and concentration camp survivors. In 1953, she established the Sue
Ryder Foundation, and over the next few years the organisation would set up
more than 80 homes worldwide for people suffering from physical or mental
problems.

John Boyd Orr (1880 – 1971). A leading expert in food and
nutrition, John Boyd Orr advocated improvements in the global supply of food to
provide “sufficient food for all mankind.” In 1945, he was appointed the first
director – general of the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation.
The following year, he established an International Emergency Food Council to
address the post-war food crisis. In 1949, Boyd Orr was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize.

Eglantyne Jebb (1876 – 1928). Dedicated to improving the welfare of
children, Eglantyne Jebb founded the ‘Save the Children Fund’ in 1919. In the
early 1920s, she drafted the ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Child,’ which
was brought before the League of Nations’ Assembly in September 1924 and
unanimously adopted by the League. It was one of Save the Children’s first
breakthroughs in improving the lives of children across the world.

Joseph Rowntree (1836 – 1925). Joseph Rowntree began his quest to
enhance employees’ lives while working for the family confectionery business in
York, introducing welfare programmes, medical services, pension schemes and
sick benefits for the workforce. In 1904, he used half of his wealth to set up
three trusts that were created to give support to social research and adult
education, and to build respectable but affordable housing for the working
classes.

Josephine Butler (1828 – 1906). In an age when voteless middle –
and working-class women were subjected to inequality and exploitation,
Josephine Butler campaigned ardently for the rights of women. Most famously,
she was pivotal in the battle against the Contagious Diseases Acts, which
denied certain women their civil rights. Her attention was also drawn to fights
for women’s suffrage, education for women and against child prostitution.

About Me

I have studied Theology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Theology, International Relations at the University of London (Queen Mary). My Master's Thesis was published as a book: 'The Aegean Sea Dispute Between Greece and Turkey - The Consequences for NATO and the EU'. For more information see: http://www.akakia.net/el/the-aegean-sea-dispute-between-greece-and-turkey
I have also studied Byzantine Music in Athens and I am currently undertaking a research on the “Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius and its contribution towards Anglican – Orthodox Relations”, at the University of Winchester.
I also represent the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain at the A.E.C.A. If you wish to contact me you can email me: demetrifs1@yahoo.com